The House of the Felicitous Kingdom

[smokingboot]

When then, did I actually rest on this holiday?

During Vivaldi, sunset, candles, yes, the company of sparrows in the Realejo for sure, the bell tower at St Peter and Paul's, and the best tomatoes I have ever tasted.* But the greatest peace for my weary head came from wandering the gardens of the Generalife, sometime summer palace and farm of the Nasrid rulers, close to the Alhambra. There are a lot of disputes about what its name originally meant, but I will stay with Ibn al-Yayyab's inscription within, calling it Dar al-Mamlakat as-Sa'ida, The House of the Felicitous Kingdom. I used to dream that - but even as I start to write it down, it feels like my dream should stay untold. So instead, here are some glimpses.

Granada and some towers of the Alhambra seen from the Generalife.



Views of the Felicitous Kingdom.



And finally, back down in the city, churros and chocolate, breakfast of champions.



There is much to see, and I am always so tied up or tired out I never manage it. But I will. Bye for now, felicitous kingdom X

*Get em when they're mauve or green, drown 'em in oil, vinegar, and salt. Add basil and garlic if you want to make a real heaven's kiss of them. The secret of enjoying tomatoes is never to taste any actual tomato.

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

The secret of enjoying tomatoes is never to taste any actual tomato.

Ha, ha, ha! 😀. I don't agree. Vine-ripened, freshly picked tomatoes are heaven.

[smokingboot]

OK to vine ripened, yes to freshly picked, but said picking needs to happen long before they become the saggy pulp bombs that find their way to UK supermarkets! I can bear them green or mauve, but once they're red, they're sauce!

[asakiyume]

The secret of enjoying tomatoes is never to taste any actual tomato. --This made me laugh.

The photos of the garden are lovely--so are the coffee and chocolate cups and saucers!

[smokingboot]

Thank you, that breakfast was definitely a favourite experience 😋 Having said that, my mother's insistence that I eat my body weight in churros every morning has not been counterbalanced by striding up and down hills. I'm sitting at my desk like a dirigible in dock!